Curtis Mayfield vs. Gladys Knight | Head 2 Head 🗣️

In the 1^st edition of Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️ (2023), Curtis Mayfield and Gladys Knight & The Pips contend for the best rendition of “The Makings of You.” 

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  In the 1^st edition of head 🗣️2 head 🗣️ (2023), 🎙 Curtis Mayfield and 🎙 Gladys Knight contend for the best rendition of 🎵 “The Makings of You.” So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. Curtis Mayfield, “The Makings of You”

💿 Curtis • 🏷 Warner Strategic Marketing • 🗓 1970

“Add a little sugar, honeysuckle and / A great, big expression of happiness / Boy, you couldn’t miss with a dozen roses / Such would astound you,” the late, great, soul icon 🎙 Curtis Mayfield sings on 🎵 “The Makings of You”. “The Makings of You” appears as the third track on his 1970, gold certified, debut album, 💿 Curtis. “The Makings of You” didn’t chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but it is considered one of the Chicago soul legend’s crème de la crème.  He continues singing, “The joy of children laughing around you / These are the makings of you / It is true, the makings of you.”

The lyrics are one of the biggest selling points. Mayfield paints a radiant picture of her. He goes on to say, “You’re second to none.” Furthermore, he tries to find the right words – perfect words – but even at his best, he cannot because she is so perfect to him:

“The love of all mankind

Should reflect some sign

Of these words I’ve tried to recite

They are close, but not quite

Almost impossible to do

Reciting the makings of you.”

Beyond poetic lyrics,  Mayfield sounds terrific, blessing us with one of the truly distinct voices of all time.  His instrument is sweet; his falsetto is incredibly ripe. Beyond epic vocals, the production, with its lush orchestration, makes “The Makings of You” even sweeter.  Just as those words aspire to capture her perfection, so does the production and orchestration. The aesthetic, the ambiance, and the vibe of 🎵 “The Makings of You” are all once-in-a-lifetime. It is not surprising why “The Makings of You” has sampled and covered by various musicians including 🎙 Gladys Knight & The Pips.

Appears in 🔻:

• Curtis Mayfield, “The Makings of You”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 123 (2022)

2. Gladys Knight & The Pips, “The Makings of You”

💿 Claudine • 🏷 BMG Music Special Projects LLC • 🗓 1974

“Add a little sugar, honeysuckle and a great big expression of happiness / Boy, you couldn’t miss with a dozen roses…” When you are able to make a distinct cover of an incredible song, you are batting a thousand ⚾️. 🎙 Gladys Knight & The Pips had the herculean task of covering the 🎙 Curtis Mayfield gem, 🎵 “The Makings of You”.  The legendary soul collective passes with flying colors providing contrast from the original.  Their rendition appears on a brief soundtrack, 💿 Claudine, in which they perform all seven songs.  Notably, Mayfield produces their 1974 recording.  The strings, the robust bass line – the overall aesthetic!

As always, 🎙 Gladys Knight’s lead vocals are rich, robust, and soulful to the n^th degree.  Her tone is utterly splendid, bringing new life to the lyrics on this abbreviated take. “It’s been a miracle for what you’ve done / Please stay right by my side two can be one,” she sings marvelously, adding, “The righteous way to go / Little one would know or believe if I told them so.” Running under two-and-a-half minutes in duration, Gladys Knight & The Pips provide a sufficient amount of warm, gushy, and picturesque 70s soul, sigh.

Appears in 🔻:

• Gladys Knight & The Pips: Covers No. 1 (2023)

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️

🎙 Curtis Mayfield or 🎙 Gladys Knight & The Pips? Wow – that’s a heavyweight battle right there!   Neither version of the song was a pop hit but both versions deserved to be. That said, Mayfield wins this head 2 head battle.  He wrote and originally performed this important soul classic, not to mention produced Knight’s cover.  So, all told, 🎵 “The Makings of You” will always belong to Mr. Mayfield.

Curtis Mayfield vs. Gladys Knight: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 1 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Antoni Shkraba via Pexels; andresilva5, talha khalil, Valentin Tikhonov via Pixabay; Nick Wang on Unsplash]